It Began with Handwritten Messages of Hope

For the City of Hope, the journey onto campus is an important part of the patient, visitor, and staff experience. As part of the medical center’s 20-year expansion, the vision was to create a carefully curated arrival sequence—one that immediately conveyed a “place of great care and great research.”

That vision extended beyond the new Hope Plaza outpatient center. The arrival experience begins at the adjacent parking structure and continues through the Ted Schwartz Family Hope & Healing Park, creating an opportunity to transform a typically utilitarian building into an integral part of the campus and its healing environment.

The inspiration came from a heartfelt tradition. At City of Hope, patients and their loved ones have long tied handwritten messages of hope and healing to “Wishing Trees.” CO Architects translated the spirit of those messages into the façade concept in the parking structure bridging documents. Working closely with CO Architects, the McCarthy and TRC Parkitects design-build team brought that vision to life. Selected for their best-value approach, the team integrated the six-level garage into the larger campus experience while carefully designing its footprint and functional design.

Each side of the resulting cast-in-place concrete structure responds to its unique surroundings. Along the west façade, a kinetic wall of wind-responsive metal tags creates a sensory experience for people moving through the adjacent park. Facing the 605 Freeway, perforated metal panels on the east façade incorporate an illuminated City of Hope logo, extending the campus identity and providing a highly visible wayfinding element. The north and south façades incorporate retail space and metal-clad stair towers that wrap the structure, reinforcing visual continuity and making pedestrian circulation more intuitive. Cantilevered rooftop canopies further reduce the garage’s visual mass while providing a foundation for future photovoltaic panels.

Inside, the same attention to experience continues. Using TRC Parkitects’ experiential parking design approach, the garage was planned around a clear and intuitive flow that minimizes distractions and crossover traffic. A green and red-light parking availability guidance system helps drivers quickly locate open spaces, while clear signage and a painted interior support the transition from driver to pedestrian.

Sustainability and multimodal transportation were also integrated into the design. A dedicated bike room with a repair station encourages cycling to campus, while motion-activated LED lighting improves energy efficiency.

What began with handwritten messages of hope became the inspiration for an entire experience. Through movement, light, color, material, and careful attention the experiential flow, the garage does more than accommodate vehicles—it becomes part of the journey into City of Hope, connecting arrival, healing, research, and community in a place designed around hope.

City of Hope Parking Structure Recognition

2022 International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI) Award of Excellence in Architectural Design 

2022 National Parking Association Sustainability Project of the Year Award 

2022 Metal Construction News Grand Award 

"Everything is purposeful. When people enter Hope Plaza, we want them to feel dignified, to hold their heads up high and to know immediately that they are in a place of great care and great research."

- Phan Luc, Director of Design, City of Hope